A further three people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid, bringing the UK total number of death to 127,694, the government confirmed today.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been 152,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate.
The government also said that, as of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 2,696 lab-confirmed cases in the UK,
It brings the total to 4,452,527 after an adjustment in the way case numbers are calculated.
In addition, government data up to May 18 shows that of the 57,855,958 jabs given in the UK so far, 36,985,505 were first doses – a rise of 174,100 on the previous day.
Some 20,870,453 were second doses, an increase of 324,001.
It comes as almost 3,000 cases of the Indian coronavirus variant of concern have been identified, an increase of 600 - or 27 per cent - since Monday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs earlier today that surge testing and extra vaccine supplies were being deployed in a series of areas to control the spread of the highly-transmissible strain.
The latest figures came with the government under fire over its inability to prevent the variant arriving in the UK, as Labour claimed the border has been “like a sieve” throughout the pandemic.
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
